Animal-trap.



5N0. 644,377. Patented Feb. 27, i900. J. H. THEUBET.

ANIMAL TRAP.

(Application filed Dec. 12, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNrrEo STATES PATENT Erica.

J OIIN I'I. THEURET, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 644,377, dated February27, 1900.

Applicationflled December 12, 1899. Serial No. 740, (N0 model-3 T0 00%whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN I-I. THEURET, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAnimal-Traps, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings My invention relates to certainnew and useful improvements in animal traps, and more particularly tothat class of animal-traps constructed of wire.

One object of my invention is to construct a trap of this character witha pair of springactuated clamping-jaws for trapping and securing theanimal until released, the clamping-jaws being operated by the animalengaging a suitable bait-hook.

A further object of my invention is to construct a trap of thischaracter made entirely of wire which will be simple in itsconstruction, strong, durable, and efficient in its use andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly described, my invention consists of a base formed entirely ofwire, having one end bent to form a spring-actuated operatingbar a pairof skeleton clamping-jaws formed entirely of wire pivotally connected tosaid base and engaged by the forward end of said operating-bar, and abait-hook connected to a fastening-arm adapted to retain theoperating-bar, and clamping-jaws in an inopera tive position until theanimal engages the bait-hook and operates the fastening-bar.

My invention finally consistsin the novel combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointedout in the claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and whereinlike numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedanimal-trap. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the bait-hook and means ofsupporting the same. toning-bar.

Fig. 3 is a like view of the fas- Fig. .tis a perspective View of amodified form of construction of bait and fastoning hook.

Referring to the drawings by referencenumerals, 1 and 2 indicate thesides of a skeleton base constructed of a piece of suitable wire bent ina tapering manner to form the same. The forward end of the side 2 isprovided with a loop 3, while the rear end of both the sides .is formedwith a series of springloops 4 and an upwardly-extending operatingarm 5,bent at its upper end, as at 6.

7, 8, 9, and 10 indicate a series of crosswires forming braces forkeeping the sides 1 and 2 apart and are securely fastened thereto. Thebraces 9 and 10 have connected thereto an upwardly-extending yoke-shapedsupport 11, the brace 8 having pivotally mounted thereon a fastening-arm12,this arm being pro vided with an eye 12 to permit of the mounting ofthe same in the manner desired. The brace 7 is provided with apivotally-mounted catch-plate 13, this plate having an eye 14. formed inthe bottom thereof to permit of the same being mounted in the mannerdesired. The plate 13 is also provided near the top thereof with a pairof openings 15, adapted to receive the end of the fastening-arm, and isalso adapted to retain in position near the bottom thereof the bait-hook16, this hook extending through the plate, as shown. The bait-hook 16has one end formed with a point or hook 17 and its opposite end with aweight 18.

The clamping-jaws 19 and 20 consist of two pieces of suitable wirelbentin a substantiallysemicircular manner and at one end thereof formed withan eye 21, which is pivotally secured in the loop 3, while the oppositeend of these clamping-jaws is also formed with a similar eye 22 forpivotally securing the same to the support 11. The rear portion of theclamping-jaws is adapted to be surrounded by the opening 6 at the upperend of the operating-arm 5, so that when the arm is elevated" it willdraw the jaws together and securely hold them in position.

'The modified form of construction shown in Fig. 4 consists of abait-hook 23, bent at one end to form a hook or point 24, and at itsopposite end a series of spring-loops 25 for mounting upon thecross-brace 8 and also openings of the plate 13.

bent to form a stop-loop 26 and fasteninghook 227 for retaining theoperating-arm 5 in an inoperative position.

4 The operation of my improved trap is as follows: The fastening-arm 12is lowered and the free end thereof engaged in one of the This retainsthe operating-arm in the position as shown in Fig. 1. Asuitable bait ismounted upon the point or hook 17, and when the same is engaged by theanimal the bait-hook 16 is lowered, causing the weight 18 to engage thefastening-arm 12 and remove the same from the opening in the plate 13.As the arm is removed from the plate 13 the action of the spring-loops 4will cause the operating-arm to be elevated and ride upwardly on each ofthe jaws 19 20, drawing the same together and trapping the animal andsecuring the same in position until released.

It is thought that the many advantages of my improved construction canbe readily understood from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted thatvarious changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an animal-trap, a suitable base, a pair of clamping-jaws suitablyconnected thereto, a catch-plate 13 pivotally connected to the said baseand provided with a pair of openings, a bait-hook secured in the saidcatch-plate, a fastening-arm pivotally connected to said base andadapted to engage in one of the said I

